Machine for shaping forms from fabric materials



H. B. FUCHS New. 14, 1 939.

MACHINE FOR SHAPING FORMS FROM FABRIC MATERIALS Original F iled Sept. 7,1934 2 Sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1939. H. 5. FUCHS I J 2.179.692

MACHINE FOR SHAPING FORMS FROM FABRIC IATERIALS Original Filed Sept. 7,1934 2 sheets-shat 2.

INVENTOR Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOB SHAPING FORMSI'BOH FABRIC MATERIALS Harry Bricker Fuchs, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 7, 1934, Serial Renewed May 2, I930 10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for shaping forms fromwoven, felted, knitted and other materials.

. One object of my invention is to establish a 5* new industry similarto the pressed metal industry.

Another object of my invention is to produce shaped fabric articles,such for instance as hollow articles for industrial and commercial pur-W poses, hat forms, and containers for enclosing many different kindsofglassware, and electrical, mechanical, automotive and otherspecialties, accessories, tools, instruments, parts, etc. Anotherobject'of my invention is to consume large quantities of fibers that canbe produced by farmers in many parts of our country, and to provideemployment in the conversion of the iibers into finished products.

Further objects of my invention will appear 20 hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists 'in the method, system, combinationsof elements, arrangementoi parts and in the several steps and relationand order of each of the same to one 5 or more of the others, as will bedescribed herein. The many novel features embraced in this invention arefar-reaching in their scope and are applicable in many embodiments otherthan that described, and I therefore do not wish to be' 5 limited exceptas indicated in the appended claims Referring to the accompanyingdrawings.-.in Figure l I have illustrated in perspective a suitable formoi machine embodying an application 5 of my invention, and in Figure 2'an electrical device for openingand closing the machine by means of aswitch.

ll indicates the frame of the machine, and-.2 the drive shalt, which maybe driven by any suitable 40 means such as a motor, sprocket chain, orpulley belt, not shown. Upon this drive shaft isse,

cured a disc 3 adapted to give reciprocating motion upon which isadapted to ride a roller I, held in the yoke i, in the ends of which arese- 45 cured the rods 8, I, carrying at the top the yoke 8, across whichare secured cross-pieces 9, it, hav

in; frictional surfaces such for instance as the rubber ends ii, forholding the goods while the" shaping operation is in progress. It willbe 50 understood that clamps for gripping the goodsorpinsforpiercingthegoodsmaybeusedinstead f frictional ends it forholding the goods. l2 indicates the female shaping member which ispreferably held by pins or rods IS, in the yoke l, 56 as shown. Itindicates the male shaping mem-.

her, which is suitably secured upon the table it, which in turn issuitably secured to the frame I, as indicated at I6. I! indicates avertically movable platform having a central hole IT for the passage ofthe shaping member It, and is provided with four depending legs it, fromthe corners thereof as shown, the ends of said legs passing through thetable It. I! indicates-springs retained upon the table It, by thecollars 20, secured to the legs 18, so that when the ends Ii press downupon the platform ll, they are opposed by the action of the springs i9,which are compressed thereby. v

The ends ii may be liaced sufliciently close to form a ring. Only fourare shown for purpose of clearness. The ends ll cooperate with theopposing yielding platform to hold the material It. as the ends Ii presson-the platform ll, causing the shaping member It to increasinglystretch the material 21 as the platform i1 descends. The purpose of theholding and stretching is to obtain a formed producthaving a minimum ofwrinkles. The relative-motion between the material and the platform I!when the material is held and stretched during the forming operation,depends 25 on the elasticity of the material and the force exerted bythe springs it against the multiple ends ii, permitting the material toslide therebetween under suilicient pull to obtain a mini-- 'mum ofwrinkles in the formed product. It will be understood that when clampsare used to grip the material or pins to pierce the materialgthematerial can not slide as between the ends ii and the platform ill, anda product with a minimum of wrinkles is obtained by the stretching ofthe material to an extent permitted by its elasticity.

; ii indioatesa roll of, woven, felted, knitted or other suitablematerial, upon the rod 22, held-in the arms 23, secured to the frame ofthe machine 40 I, orpiatform II, and the free end 24, of the materialpasses between the rollers 25, 26, re- .tained, in the frame '11, whichalso carries a trough II, provided with impregnating material such assizing or water, in which the lower roller 5 25 rotates, therebyimpregnating the material as it is: fed rlghtwardly over the table IIbetween the turned-inguldes 2!,19, and between the shapingmembers I: andIt. The trough It may oontain'sizingior stiflening the material, orwater or steam for softening material which has albeen sized. -It'willbe understood that a device producing steam may be used instead of thetrough 2 8, for moistening the material,- and that a device forproducing the steam for which have a gripping surface moistening thematerial may tion with the trough 28.

30, 3| indicate standards secured to the table 32 as shown, and providedwith a shaft 38, carrying segmental feeders 34, 35, the peripheries ofas indicated by 38, to engage the material 24 as the same passes over,the roller 88, which is pressed upwardly against the engagingperipheries of the feeders 34, 35, by the springs 38, 31, the saidsprings being retained in the shelf 32, secured to the frame of themachinein any suitable manner, such as indicated at 4|. This shelf isfurther supported by the bracket 42, secured to the bracket 43, which isalso provided with the bracket 44 slidably adjustable upon the bracket43 by any suitable means such as the screw 45. 68 is an ex tension ofthe shelf 32, also slidably adjustable, and securable by the screw 41,and the extension :86 is provided with a cutting edge 88 to which ispivotally secured the knife 48, as indicated at58, the short end of thesaid knife being provided with a slot 5|, through which passes the screw52, secured in the plunger 53, passing through the bracket 44, andprovided at the lower end with a roller 54, adapted to ride upon thedisc be used in conjunc- 55 adapted to give reciprocating motion uponthe shaft 56, carrying sprocket wheel 51. 58 indicates a tension spring,the upper end of which is secured to the upper portion of the verticallymoving plunger 53, as shown, and the lower end of which is secured tothe bracket 44, at 58, as shown, the said spring tending to keep theknife open and up as shown in the drawings. The sprocket 51 is driven bythe sprocket chain 88, which also passes over the sprocket 8|, upon theshaft 2, which also carries the sprocket 82, provided with sprocketchain 88, engaging sprocket wheel 64.

As the material 24 is fed from the. roll 2|, it is moistened and/ orimpregnated with suitable substances while passing between the rollers25, 25, and as the ends come down upon the material on the verticallymoving platform II, the material is held sufficiently smooth therebywhile it is formed between the shaping members. While this operation isgoing on, the feeders 34, 35, are rotating free of the roller 38, andthe knife 48 is above the extension platform 32. When the material hasbeen formed, providing a hollow shape such as 65, the upper shapingmember l2 lifts sufliciently high, as shown, to clear the formed shape55, which is then drawn rightwardly by the gripping surface 38 of thefeeders, which now pinch the material against the roller 38, and inrotating anti-clockwise pass the formed shape 85 to the position shownin dotted .outline, and when in that Position the material 24 which isnow again stationary, is cut by the descending knife 48, while theshaping member |2 may also descend, forming another shape.

The upper shaping member I2 is drawn downwardly by the action of thetension spring 53,

and is lifted by the disc 3 adapted to give reciprocating motion aspreviously stated, these springs 68 being of greater tension than thecompressibility of the springs l8, which yield thereto as the platformI! descends under pres-, sure of the ends H. The lateral depth of theguides 28, 28, may, of course, be greater than as shown, in order tomaintain guiding control of the material 24, the same being shown ofless depth than may be required for purpose of clearness.

While Figure 1 shows a machine which may continuously operate to formshapes from the roll of material 2|, Figure 2 shows electrical means foropening and closing the machine as ,may be necessary when shaping formsfrom individual blanks instead of from the roll of material 2|.

In Figure 2, 81 indicates a disc of electric insulating material securedto hub 88 which is secured to drive shaft 2. 68 indicates a segment ofelectrically conductive material such as metal secured to the peripheryof disc 6?. l8 and H indicate electric current-carrying brushessupported by electric insulating holder 12 and tensioned by springs 13and 14 to bear against disc 81. I5 and '|6 indicate electriccurrent-carrying brushes supported by electric insulating holder 11 andtensioned by springs 18 and 18 to bear against disc 51. 80 indicates anelectric motor connected to drive shaft 2 by gearing, belting orsprocket chain; or it may be an electrical device, such for instance asa clutch, for controlling the connection of drive shaft 2 to amechanical source of power. 8| and 82 indicate lines connected to asource of electric current. 83 indicates a switch blade connected toline 82 and adapted to be biased to engage with either of contacts 84 or85.-

The rotation of shaft 2 of the machine shown in Figure 1 isanti-clockwise. It will be understood tbat in other embodiments of myinvention the shaft may rotate clockwise. As illustrated'in Figure 2,disc 81 should be adjusted on shaft 2 so that when shaping members l2and l4'are either completely engaged or disengaged, electricallyconductive segment 89 will contact brushes l0 and H. Assuming that themachine is open and shaping members l2 and I4 disengaged from each otheras shown in Figure 1, when switch blade 83 is biased to engage withcontact 84, current from line 82 flows through switch blade.83, contact84, lines 86, 81, spring 14, brush ll, segment 68, brush l0, spring 13,lines 83, 88, 88, electrical device 88, line 9| to line 8|, therebyenergizing electrical device 88 to operate shaft 2, in anti-clockwisedirection, until segment 58 deenergizes electrical device 88 and stopsthe rotation of shaft 2 by disengaging from brushes 1. and II. Themachine is now closed,

. shaping members l2 and 4 engaged, segment 68 r is disconnected frombrushes l8 and 'H and contacts brushes 15 and 16.

To-open the machine and disengage shaping members l2 and H from eachother, switch blade 88 is disconnected from contact 84 and biased toengage contact 85, and current from line 82 flows through switch blade83, contact 85, lines 82, 83, spring 18, brush I5, segment 68, brush 15,spring I8, lines 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 98, electric device ll, line 8| toline 8|, thereby energizing electrical device 80 to operate shaft 2, inanticlockwise direction, until segment 68 deenergizes electrical device80 and stops the rotation of shaft 2 by disengaging from brushes l5 and15. when segment 88 disengages fromvone set of brushes, the momentum ofshaft 2 causes it to engage the other set of brushes, so that themaadapted to move transverse to the line of feed of the material, and afeeder adapted to draw the material from the forming mechanism when theforming mechanism is disengaged therefrom.

2. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, formingmechanism adapted to shape material, a platform for guiding the materialadapted to move transverse to the line of feed of the material, andmeans connected with a continuously rotating shaft adapted to draw thematerial from the forming mechanism when the forming mechanism isdisengaged therefrom.

3. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilient meansfor supporting material, a shaping member, and spring means of greaterresistance than the resistance of the resilient means adapted to movethe shaping member to engage the material.

4. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilientmeansfor supporting material, a shaping member, spring means of greaterresistance than the resistance of the resilient means adapted to movethe shaping member to engage the material, and a drive shaft adapted tomove the shaping member from the material.

5. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilient meansfor supporting material, a shaping member, spring means of greaterresistance ,than the resistance of the resilient means adapted totension-the shaping member, and a drive shaft adapted to overcometheresistance of the spring means and move the shaping member.

6. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, two shapingmembers, one moving relatively to the other, a resilientlymovingplatform for supporting material, means for moving one of said shapingmembers into engagement with the material and with the other shapingmembers, means for moving the material from between said shaping memberswhen one of said shaping members is disengaged therefrom, and in timedrelation therewith means for severing the shaped part of said material.

'7. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, two shapingmembers, one moving relatively to the other, means whereby one shapingmember will stretch the fabric material, a shaft, connections betweensaid shaft and one of the said shaping members for moving said shapingmember into engagement with the material, means for moving the materiallaterally away from the path of movement of one of said shaping members,and connections between said shaft and said means for moving thematerial whereby the means for moving the material will move thematerial in timed relation with the disengagement of one of said shapingmembers from the material.

v8. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, means forfeeding a strip of material, a resiliently moving platform with relationto which said material is guided, shaping mechanism extending at bothsides of said platform, the shaping mechanism at one side of saidplatform and said platform adapted to be moved in one directionwith saidstrip, and adapted to move in an opposite direction, and meanscontrolled by the operation of the shaping members adapted to draw saidstrip from between said shapers when the said platform is at apredetermined position.

9. In a machine for'shaping forms from fabric materials, means forfeeding and impregnating a strip of material, a vertically movingplatform with relation to which said material is guided, shapingmechanism extending above and below said platform, the shaping mechanismon one side of said platform, and said platform adapted to be moved inone direction with said strip, and adapted to move in an opposite di-'shaping mechanism. extending on one side and onthe other side of saidplatform, the shaping mechanism on one side of said platform, and saidplatform; adapted to be moved in one direction with said strip, andadapted to move in an opposite direction, and means for severing theshaped part of said strip.

- HARRY BRICKER FUCHS.

